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Celebrity Talks / See Why This Guy Ended His Relationship (Photo)
« on: October 21, 2015, 02:18:28 pm »Do you think this guy’s decision is Right or Wrong
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Celebrity Talks / See Why This Guy Ended His Relationship (Photo)« on: October 21, 2015, 02:18:28 pm »Do you think this guy’s decision is Right or Wrong ?? 3852
Love | Marriage | Relationships / 10 Things Every Woman Should Know About Her BR*ASTS« on: October 21, 2015, 02:14:01 pm »
A woman’s brea$t is an essential feature that
portrays feminism. Due to differences in body shapes and sizes, the women’s BR*ASTS vary too. Some women get embarra$$ed about certain issues that concern this part of their bodies. Some work these depressing issues into their personalities and develop low self-esteem as a result. The following points could help women get comfortable with their bodies and increase their knowledge of this organ. Every Woman Is Unique Women should learn to appreciate themselves. Some feel intimidated because they are not as busty as others. Others feel they get attention as a result of the size of their BR*ASTS. Every woman is unique in her own way. Some worry about one of the BR*ASTS being bigger than the other. This is totally normal; however, if it is noticeable, a doctor could be seen to correct the imbalance. Inverted Nipples It is not out of place to find some women with inverted nipples. Just like BR*ASTS have different shapes, nipples too come in different sizes and shapes. There’s nothing wrong with having tiny nipples or bigger ones. Some women have more than two nipples. Extra nipples typically develop along milk lines and could occur on other parts of the body too. Lumps A lot of awareness has been raised about cancer. Women have been told to examine themselves from time to time to check for lumps in the BR*ASTS. Not every lump is cancerous. Most lumps found in the BR*ASTS are benign. Notwithstanding, women should learn to have themselves checked once in a while by the doctor. Wrong br@ Size It would be appropriate for women to find the right br@ size and wear them. Wrong sizes could have effect on the shoulders and chest. br@ that provides comfort should be worn; its cup should fit perfectly and prevents the BR*ASTS from flying out when the woman jumps. Fluctuation In Size Every woman experiences fluctuation in size of the BR*ASTS from time to time. The BR*ASTS sometimes become fuller. The woman’s monthly flow or ovulation can make a woman’s BR*ASTS become tender and fuller. Young ladies shouldn’t worry about this as it is completely normal. Sensual The BR*ASTS house a wide range of sensations. Most women get turned on when there is contact with their BR*ASTS. Touching and fondling of the BR*ASTS could arouse $exual stimulation in women. Most times the men notice the BR*ASTS first before they check out the women’s faces. Some women reach orgasm from touching of the BR*ASTS. Obesity And Weight Loss Affects Bust Size A large portion of the BR*ASTS is made up of fat. Gaining weight would automatically make the BR*ASTS bigger. It should also be known that drugs or exercises targeted at losing weight would also reduce the size of the brea$t if effective; it is difficult to target fat deposit at a particular part of the body. Nipple Hair Not every woman has nipple hair, it is not an uncommon occurrence either. A woman who is hairy may likely have hair around the nipples. This could be plucked out with the help of tweezers. However, if the amount of hair becomes a point of concern to the woman, medical attention should be sought. Sagging BR*ASTS Most women hate to see their BR*ASTS sag. A woman’s brea$t could sag as a result of loss of elasticity in the brea$t ligaments. A decline of brea $t tissue due to reduction in weight could also cause sagging. Smoking of cigarrete, hormonal imbalance and pregnancy could also cause the BR*ASTS to sag. Indicator The BR*ASTS could be an indicator of changes in a woman’s body. It gives clue to what could be going on within the body. In most women, the BR*ASTS show signs of pregnancy long before the stomach starts to swell. In this case, the BR*ASTS grow and become tender in the first trimester. 3853
Health and Welfare / 6 Daily Routines That Can Help Boost Your Self- Confidence« on: October 21, 2015, 02:06:53 pm »Flattered Woman Smiling — Image by Free/Corbis Self-confidence is one thing everyone should have all the times. It’s not a thing of appearance but a thing of the mind. Self-confidence comes from inside out and takes a lot of effort to maintain. To keep your self- confidence in check, daily practice is required to feel more in control. And as they say, practice makes perfect. According to Entrepreneur, here are 6 ways to boost your self-confidence daily: 1. Be a$$ertive not aggressive: People listen more when you sound confident rather than fighting to drive your point home. Watch your favorite speaker deliver a speech and you’ll know what it takes to be a$$ertive. 2. Dress smartly: You feel better when you look good. Your choice of clothes and accessories should suit your work setting. Looking smart also does a lot of good in boosting self-confidence. 3. Develop a positive energy: A positive mindset can do a lot of good for your self-confidence. Your positive energy rubs off on others which in turn makes them accept and listen to all you have to say. 5. Always be prepared: They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. You prevent a lot of things from going wrong when you are well prepared for eventualities. 6. Don’t be inactive: Being active gives you a lot of courage than you’ll normally feel. 3854
Love | Marriage | Relationships / 5 facts you must consider before you have raw $ ex, or swallow his semen« on: October 21, 2015, 02:03:47 pm »If you’re getting it on with a guy, you’re dealing with
semen. Why not get to know it better? 1. Mood There are a ton of mood-enhancing chemicals in semen and the **** can absorb them. Cortisol increases affection. Estrone and Oxytocin elevate mood. Prolactin and Thyrotropin-releasing hormones are natural antidepressants. Melatonin helps regulate sleep. And Serotonin makes you feel happy. But please don’t try to fight depression with it. It doesn’t quite work like that. 2. Flavor Smoking can make semen taste bad. Eating too much cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, garlic, onions, meat, curry, and fish can make it taste bitter or salty. Even coffee and beer can throw the taste off. To make semen taste better, a guy should drink lots of water and eat lots of fruits and vegetables, especially pineapple, celery, watermelon, apples, kiwi, cranberries, blueberries, plums, parsley, and papaya. 3. Calories A man will ejaculate about 18 quarts of semen over his lifetime and the average volume per ejaculation is about one teaspoon. That amount contains approximately 5 to 25 calories. And 300,000,000 to 500,000,000 sperm! (Another reason why you should use birth control every single time you have $ex.) 4. Smile Semen contains zinc and calcium, both of which prevent tooth decay. But don’t use it to whiten your teeth. That’s a myth and it won’t work. 5. Babies When a guy ejaculates, the average speed of his semen is 31 mph and it shoots about 7 to 10 inches. Semen contains sperm. Sperm can live up to 5 days in your body. When his sperm reaches your egg, it’s possible to make a baby. If you’re not ready for a baby, there are lots of birth control options for you. And remember that semen can carry HIV and STIs. Before he lets loose, have a talk about your HIV and STI status, and make sure your birth control is fully functioning too. Culled from Care2 3855
Latest Gists In Town / Checkout How Olamide Looked 5 Years Ago (Photo)« on: October 21, 2015, 01:53:32 pm »King of the Streets, Olamide, went on his Instagram page today to share a 5 years old throwback photo of himself. The indigenous rapper captioned the photo: – “My gaaaaaaawd oh cause if a ghetto man no get job- my brother na how we go take survive oh ! * in china’s voice* .. Throw back to 5yrs ago when it all started..” 3856
Latest Gists In Town / Meet the Shortest Jihadist, Barely Taller Than His Gun (Photos)« on: October 21, 2015, 01:50:40 pm »These photos of this Jihadist actively fighting in
Syria will shock you as he has risen above his limitations to achieve his ‘heart desires’ Al-Chihuahua Height is no barrier to terrorism. The dwarf terrorist is barely taller than his machine gun and has already earned the nickname ‘Al-Chihuahua’, but that hasn’t stopped this three-foot-tall militant from joining the terror war in Syria. The mini jihadi is understood to have enlisted with the Al Qaeda-linked group Jabhat Al-Nusra which is fighting the a$$ad regime and the Islamic State. 3857
Latest Gists In Town / The New Gulder Ultimate Search: ‘Ultimate Chase’ – Checkout All You Need To Do To Win Big« on: October 21, 2015, 01:47:02 pm »To all our teeming and loyal fans, who have been waiting ceaselessly for the Gulder Ultimate Search 2015 ‘Season 12’, we hereby say sorry for bringing the news late as we’ve been made to understand that the Nigerian Breweries brand, Gulder had scr*ped the reality show and replaced it with ‘The Ultimate Promo (Ultimate Chase)’. The reality Television programme, tagged ‘Gulder Ultimate Search’ (GUS), which was first premiered in 2004, have produced 11 winners as the ‘Ultimate Men’, claiming huge rewards, after triumphing in a quest that includes struggling against nature and finding a hidden treasure. While many have been waiting for the challenge to kick off this year, report emerged that the organisers of the GUS had scrapped and replaced it with the — ‘Ultimate Promo (Ultimate Chase)’. The brand, also stated that they are working on reaching their consumers directly, and this was something they couldn’t do with the ‘Ultimate Search’ as only some particular set of people were reached, leaving out their prospective consumers. Ebuka Obi- Uchendu, Yemi Blaq and Illrymz were unveiled as the new Gulder Amba$$adors in Enugu during the launch of the new show. On Why Gulder Ultimate Search Failed: – At some point in time, Industry watchers complained that some Gulder Amba$$adors (Ultimate Men) failed in their responsibility, which is to promote the brand. – Some even left the brand to patronise its competitors. Some other winners only remain relevant within the first year of their reign as the ‘Ultimate Men’. – It was believed that all these added to the brand’s decision to introduce the new show and the signing of new Amba$$adors. GulderNg Unlike GUS where there is always one man standing to claim the cash prize and a car, Gulder Ultimate Promo/Chase is giving out 15 Hyundai cars and instant cash prizes to their consumers. Nevertheless, it is not too late as the Ultimate Chase runs from September – November. All You Need To Do To Win Big With RAFFLE CODE: – Buy a bottle of Gulder – Check under the crown cork for unique raffle draw code – Send the code with NAME, AGE and STATE OF RESIDENCE to 20388 – Prizes from the Raffle Draw includes brand new Hyundai Elantra cars, cash prizes and other amazing prizes HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ULTIMATE CHASE CONTEST – Collect 6 ULTIMATE CHASE crown corks – Report to any of the Ultimate Chase venues by 7am to partake in a chase contest – The chase contest will be between you and other consumers – Grand prize for each region is a brand new Hyundai Elantra – There are hundreds of other consolation prizes to be won REGIONAL SCHEDULE FOR THE ULTIMATE CHASE CONTEST ENUGU 26th Sept @ Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium PORT HARCOURT 3rd Oct @ Liberation Stadium IBADAN 10th Oct @ Lekan Salami Stadium BENIN 17th Oct @ Ogbe Stadium LAGOS 24th Oct @ National Stadium OWERRI 7th Nov @ Dan Anyiam Stadium CALABAR 14th Nov @ U.J Usuene Stadium ONITSHA 21st Nov @ Godwin Achebe Stadium For more information visit GulderNg Goodluck!!! 3858
Latest Gists In Town / First Photos From 2face’s ‘A Very Good Bad Guy’ Book Launch« on: October 21, 2015, 01:39:07 pm »2face Idibia’s today launched his biography “A very Good Bad Guy ” at Terra Kulture, Lagos. Pictured with him on the podium are his wife Annie Idibia, their daughter, Richard Mofe Damijo, Ali Baba. See more photos after the cut 3859
Jokes and Comedy / Akpos, Oga And Madam(best joke in sept) very funny« on: October 21, 2015, 12:51:49 pm »
Akpos who was a houseboy
usually sneaks into his Oga's room, drinks his wine and adds water to top it up. One day his Oga bought a new wine called pasties, it was a french wine that changes colour if water is added onto it. Akpos unaware of this, sneaks into his Oga's room, drank the new wine and added water on it. Immediately it started changing colour. Akpos: I am in trouble, big trouble. He ran to the kitchen. Meanwhile, oga and madam were sitted in the parlour, while Akpos was in the kitchen. ... OGA: Akpos Akpos: Oga OGA: who drank my pasties?. No answer! OGA: Akpos, who drank my pasties?. No answer. Oga walked to the kitchen and saw Akpos there. OGA: Are you insane or what?. Why when i call, you say "Oga" but when i ask you a question you don't answer me. Akpos: Oga when you are in the kitchen you don't understand anything, except your name. OGA: Is that so?. Okay go to the parlour, stand beside madam and ask me a questionwhile i stand here. Akpos went and did what oga said. Akpos: Ogaaaaaa OGA: Yes Akpos Akpos: Who goes into the maid's bedroom when madam is not at home?. No answer. Akpos: Ogaaaaaa!!! You dey hear me, i say who dey sneak enter the house girl room when madam no dey house. No answer. Oga runs out of the kitchen. OGA: Wonders shall never end. Akpos, it is true o, when one is in the kitchen, one doesnot hear anything, except one's name. MADAM: That's not true. It's a lie. Akpos: Madam, do you want to be tested?. MADAM: Yes Akpos: Oya enter the kitchen She enters. Akpos: Madam MADAM: Yes Akpos Akpos: Who is Junior's biological Father?. Me or Oga Madam rushed out of the kitchen MADAM: This kitchen needs to be fumigated o, i can't understand anything at all. 3860
Sports Updates / Petr Cech Cautious Despite Bayern Munich Win« on: October 21, 2015, 12:46:12 pm »Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech believes that with his team’s win over Bayern Munich they are back in the mix for round of 16 qualification, but he added that their situation still hangs in the balance and they need to do well in their remaining games. Heading into last night’s clash against German opposition, the Gunners were in a precarious situation, having lost their first two games. However, they managed to defeat the Bavarian visitors 2-0 and posted their first points on the board in the elite European competition as they remain in the hunt for a spot in the round of 16. And Cech feels that the result does bring the Gunners back in the game, but he has warned that not much has changed for his side and they still need to do well in their remaining games. “Obviously we are back in the game, but our position has not changed much as Olympiacos won their game and obviously that have the home advantage in the next leg so we still need more points”, the goalkeeper was quoted as saying by his club’s site. “We go to Munich knowing we can compete with them and we are positive we are in another game where we can get points and obviously it will depend on how the game will go but it has been a great night tonight and let’s see what will happen in the future.” Bayern Munich remain atop Group F despite their defeat, while Arsenal’s position has not changed either as they remain bottom. 3861
Sports Updates / Arsenal Suffer Aaron Ramsey Injury Blow« on: October 21, 2015, 12:25:03 pm »Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey suffered a hamstring injury during last night’s encounter against Bayern Munich. Ramsey has been plagued by a string of hamstring injuries in the recent past and will be on the sidelines again after he came off injured in the second half during Gunners’ 2-0 win over Bayern Munich last night. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger confirmed the injury to his player, adding that the Welshman will sit out of this weekend’s clash against Everton. "He's very down, he told me that the hamstring is a tough one”, the manager told his post-match press conference. “He's out yes", Wenger concluded. Ramsey has made 13 appearances across all competitions so far this season and has contributed a goal to the team’s cause. Arsenal are currently occupying second spot behind Manchester City in the Premier League standings, and will play host to Everton in their next league fixture on Saturday. The 24-year-old will hope to make a quick recovery and help Arsenal’s cause in their forthcoming games. 3862
Sports Updates / Arsenal Are Top Team Insists Bayern Munich Coach Pep Guardiola« on: October 21, 2015, 12:17:17 pm »Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola thinks that Arsenal were deadly on their counter-attacks during last night’s Champions League encounter. The reigning German champions enjoyed a 100 per cent record this season prior to last night’s trip to the Emirates Stadium, but their impressive record came to an end as the hosts won 2-0, with the help of a goal each from Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil. Guardiola feels that his team did well in the game and had their chances, but the Gunners were just irresistible in their counter-attacks and made life difficult for the visitors with the quick players in their ranks. “We had our chances, our performance was good”, the Catalan was quoted as saying by his club’s site. “In the first half we had problems with Arsenal's counter-attacks. “You could see they’re a top team with quick players.” Arsenal’s first goal came as a result of a mistake from Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, but Guardiola feels that the custodian wasn’t responsible for his team’s defeat. “We didn't lose because of Manu, he's made two or three very good saves. "That's football: Sometimes one incident makes the difference.” Despite the defeat, the Bavarian giants remain atop Group F with a tally of six points. 3863
Sports Updates / Arsenal Proud To Beat Bayern Munich Insists Santi Cazorla« on: October 21, 2015, 12:14:53 pm »Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla has revealed that his team are proud of their win over Bayern Munich in last night’s encounter and have belief that they will do well in their remaining three games to make the Champions League round of 16. The Gunners headed into the match on the back of successive Champions League defeats at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos, but they overcame the German champions, who were unbeaten in all competitions this season, 2-0, courtesy of a goal each from Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil. The win has significantly revived Arsenal’s chances of progressing through to the knock-out stage of the tournament, and Cazorla has expressed delight with the way things turned out for his side at the Emirates last night. “We feel good after the win, it was important for us and it was a difficult game against a big team”, he was quoted as saying by his club’s site. “We are very happy and proud of the result.” The Spain international further added that his team have three more Champions League games to look forward to and they will do their best to get positive results from their remaining games. “We have three more games, it was tough for us - we had to win today to try to go to the next round. “The most important thing was to win and now we have to prepare for the next games, against Bayern away, Dinamo at home and Olympiacos away.” 3864
Sports Updates / Jurgen Klopp “Completely Different” From Other Managers Insists Liverpool Star« on: October 21, 2015, 12:10:39 pm »Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has lauded Jurgen Klopp’s managerial style, saying that the former Borussia Dortmund manager is completely different from other coaches in the game. Klopp has been given the reins of the Merseyside giants following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers and the German went on to make his Premier League debut last weekend with a trip to White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur. Can has heaped praise on his compatriot, saying that Klopp, who has previously managed German Bundesliga sides Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, is an emotional manager and he won’t change his methods in England. “He’s completely different from other coaches”, the midfielder was quoted as saying by his club’s site. “He is more emotional and he’ll put his arm round you. “That’s the way he is and I don’t think anything will change regardless of whether he’s in Germany or here in England. I think all coaches have their own way of doing things.” The Germany Under-21 international further added that he enjoys working with a coach like Klopp, adding that his compatriot’s style suits him perfectly. “I definitely enjoy working with a coach like that. He likes to come onto the pitch in training and show you how you can do something better. “He is always keen to help and I find that very positive. "I like the way he works and it suits me down to the ground.” Klopp will have his next assignment in the Europa League when Liverpool play host to Russian outfit Rubin Kazan in a group game tomorrow. 3865
Sports Updates / We’ve Beaten Quality Team – Arsene Wenger Reflects On Arsenal Win Over Bayern Munich« on: October 20, 2015, 10:37:37 pm »
Arsene Wenger is delighted with the performance
of his Arsenal team in their 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium this evening. Bayern Munich controlled possession throughout, but Arsenal were still dangerous and the Bavarians needed Manuel Neuer to make a world-class save to keep out a Theo Walcott header in the first half to keep the scores level. But Neuer made a mistake in the 77th minute which allowed Olivier Giroud to head Arsenal in front, while Mesut Ozil then scored at the death to seal a 2-0 victory for the Gunners. Arsenal also had Petr Cech to thank as the goalkeeper was in good form, keeping Robert Lewandowski at bay. For Wenger, his side have beaten a quality team and he believes the Gunners will gain belief from the victory. "Overall we have beaten a very strong team. We kept a clean sheet as well", he said in his post-match press conference. "The team focus and dynamic was there. Tonight we showed we needed that. "It can strengthen our belief and those around us. It is important we have good balance between attacking and defending." Arsenal's next Champions League group stage game is the reverse fixture, with a trip to the Allianz Arena to play Bayern Munich on the agenda. Tonight was the first time this season that Bayern Munich have not scored in a game. 3866
Sports Updates / Don’t Forget Petr Cech – Olivier Giroud Praises Goalkeeper As Arsenal Beat Bayern Munich« on: October 20, 2015, 10:21:45 pm »Olivier Giroud has paid tribute to Petr Cech, who made a series of good saves as Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners over Bayern Munich in the Champions League this evening. Bayern Munich quickly settled into the game and started to control possession, but Arsenal still looked dangerous when they had the ball. And Arsenal thought they had gone in front when the ball was cut back to Theo Walcott, who headed towards goal only to see Manuel Neuer produce a superb save to claw the ball out. In the second half, Bayern Munich enjoyed the better of the chances and Robert Lewandowski forced two good stops from Cech. But a mistake from Neuer allowed substitute Giroud to head the ball into the back of the net in the 77th minute to put Arsenal ahead. Then at the death Arsenal sealed the deal when Mesut Ozil struck. Arsenal claimed their first win of the group stage, despite Bayern Munich dominating possession and Giroud was delighted, telling BT Sport: "We did well until the goal and defended really well. Bayern Munich will have the ball, they are very good in possession and they finished with 70 per cent of the ball. "They dominated the game, but we knew that and we were able to finish it off." And the French striker was keen to pay tribute to Cech, adding: "We needed this win to stay in the Champions League and try to qualify for the next stage. "We have to thank Petr Cech too; he had a fantastic game." 3867
Sports Updates / Lionel Messi: A Biography – A Genius of Soccer« on: October 20, 2015, 04:50:11 pm »From Carlos Gardel and Eva Peron to Maradona
and Lionel Messi “He (Lionel Messi) is the best player in the world by some distance”, Arsne Wenger, the coach of the F.C. Arsenal, has proclaimed of the five-foot-eight- inch tall, Argentine-born football star, “He’s (like) a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make”. As elsewhere in Latin America, much of Argentina’s sporting history has been dominated by football — known simply as soccer in the States– since the 1920s. After Argentina’s military strongman Jorge Rafael Videla Redondo, a hated tyrant, declared top priority to win the FIFA Global Cup in the late 1970s, the nation’s footballers invaded the world with a host of global awards and trophies. On June 25, 1978, Mario Kempes and his fellow players lifted the winner’s Cup on home soil upon scoring an overwhelming win against a Peruvian team led by an Argentine-born goalkeeper (6-0) in the semis. Within a year, in Japan’s capital city of Tokyo, the South American contingent,spearheaded by Diego Armando Maradona, was regarded as the best junior team on the Planet at the expense of the former Soviet Union/USSR. Shortly thereafter, Argentina was one of the “huge favorites” in the men’s football tournament prior to joining the U.S.- led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games. Three years on, its national side came close to winning the IV Junior Global Championship. On June 29, 1986, Los Celestes, as the national squad is known around the globe, placed first in the FIFA Cup in the United Mexican States; One of the most memorable matches ever seen in World Cup history was played there as Argentina beat England–Maradona and his team-mates tried to win on the field what their countrymen had lost in the 1982 Anglo-Argentine Falklands War. Already, in 1990, once again Maradona put Argentina in the final of the FIFA Cup on Italian soil. In the space of six years, from 1995 through 2005, the national contingent was four-time winner of the Under-20 World tournament. It was around this time that name Messi appeared on the scene. Argentine-born Messi,who is dubbed ” the Flea”, is a strong and powerful forward who plays both in FC Barcelona (since 2003) and Argentina’s national squad (2006).Curiously, he has spent his entire career in Spanish club (nearly 10 years), working in a variety of teams (Under-15, U-17, U-19, as well as other squads). Messi has become almost indispensable to his club (known popularly as “Barca”)-he is the backbone of Barcelona’s 4-3-3 formation. Nevertheless, he loves to play football with the Argentine side, having refused to be a member of the Spanish national team despite his strong links to European nation. As well as being an Argentine-born person, Messi, of Italian background, is a Spaniard citizen since the mid-2000s. From 2005 through 2011, Messi collected over seventy individual awards. Indeed, his success as a sportsman is largely due to his persistence and hard discipline. According to Paris- based magazine France Football, Messi is the world’s top paid footballer. Besides all that, the center forward —a soccer gold medalist in the 2008 Olympics– has gained international stature as a champion for the rights of children. Although Lionel Andres Messi, known occasionally as “the ghost center forward”,is considered one of the greatest soccer players to have never won a FIFA World Cup (together with Ferenc Puskas from Hungary and Liberia’s George Weah), he is already one of the male athletes most famous on the global sporting map. In the Western Hemisphere, Messi, who is often compared to Maradona, has inspired thousands of young would-be footballers to follow their dreams,especially in poverty-stricken regions. But not only that, because of him more people know about Argentina –which has a long-standing history of man-made disasters— than ever before. On his home soil, his status is only comparable to three national celebrities: Argentina’s postwar First Lady Eva Perón -made famous by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Evita— Maradona, and Carlos Gardel, nicknamed the “songbird of Buenos Aires” and who helped popularize tango around the world. Lionel Messi: A Rough Diamond Lionel Messi’s life changed forever when he was plucked out of the Spanish-speaking republic of Argentina by a talent scout to play for Barca, which is often referred to as one of the top clubs around the globe- it holds hundreds of millions of soccer fans outside its own borders, from Bangladesh and Guinea-Bissau to San Marino and the Feroe islands. You cannot become a top sportsman (woman) if you don’t achieve notable results, if you are not a hard worker, and before all, if you are not able to overcome the obstacles in your life. In fact, Lionel Messi knows firsthand about this. Like his fellow Argentine Maradona, Messi is small –who stands 5 feet 8 inches tall– for the position of forward, but he overcame this with a prodigious ability and exceptional intelligence on the filed, earning the nickname “Flea”. Over his athletic career, he also has defeated other hurdles: numerous injuries, especially during Rikjaard’s direction. Throughout his years as a boy, his country underwent one of the deepest recessions in the Americas. But this wasn’t all. Because of an illness, he almost gave up the sport. By 2008, there were troubles to send Messi to the Summer Games due to his dual citizenship and status as a professional footballer in Barcelona. Against club wishes, however, Messi,the greatest professional footballer of all time, arrived at Beijing with the Argentine squad (as a defending champion). In the Olympic arena, soon afterwards, he and his colleagues were champions, making history in the People’s Republic of China. Currently, Barcelona won’t sell Messi for anything in the world. Messi bases his success on being able to offer a play based on pa$$ion, determination, hard discipline, and an exceptional ability. No player can ever be categorized as invincible in football world, but Messi is probably the most talented man ever to carry a ball. In all his matches, Messi plays as if were a game for the FIFA World Championship. Rosario: The Birth Of A Footballer Born in the Argentinian city of Rosario (Santa Fe Province), on June 24 1987 – a year after his country captured the FIFA World Tournament in the Mexican metropolis— Messi is one of the fourth children born to Jorge Horacio Messi and his wife, the former Celia Mara Cucittini. Curiously, he is one of the four most prominent individuals from Rosario, alongside Libertad Lamarque (performer), Valeria Mazza (supermodel),and César Luis Menotti (football coach). His father had been a factory steel worker. In fact, Messi inherited his football genes from his father, who was coach during a brief period. Meanwhile, Messi’s mother is an admirer of notable people and wanted his children to have famous names. Celia Mara named his son Lionel after her favorite idol Lionel Richie, a Grammy-winning singer/ songwriter whose pop chart-topping hits in the 1980s included “Truly”, “You Are”, and “All Night Long”. Like most of Argentina’s sportsmen as Octavio Dazzan (cycling), David Nalbandian (tennis), and Manu Ginibili (basketball), Lionel reflects the Italian roots of his motherland. His father’s family is from Italy’s city of Ancona who came to the Latin American place during a large-scale European immigration at the turn of the 19th century. This Spanish-trained professional footballer, the high- scoring forward of Barcelona, has two brothers, Rodrigo and Matas, and a sister, Maria Sol. On the other hand, his cousins Maximiliano and Emmanuel Biancucchi are also soccer players. His sporting life goes back to times when Messi grew up playing football in Rosario, a land famous for their athletic pa$$ion and hosted the World Championships for both professional and amateurs, including the Men’s Football World Cup (1978) and Men’s Volleyball Global Tournament (1982);Messi can take credit for that because he has been named official Amba$$ador for Rosario’s 2019 Pan American bid. Under this Olympic atmosphere, Jorge Horacio Messi made no secret of his ambitions for his son. Like several Latino champs –among them Edwin Vásquez Cam (shooting) and Nancy López (golf) — Messi was introduced to sport by his father. Before joining the Newell’s Old Boy’s youth side, Lionel - when he was only 5 years old— played in the local team of Grandioli, where his father was coach. On that occasion, the smaller Lionel was a goalie on the football team. At the time, he had a lot of athletic skills, but not the technical skills. Shortly after, while Lionel demonstrated his talent in the under-10 competitions in his homeland and abroad in the middle of the 1990s, the Argentine boy, at the age of 11, was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. Since then, prior to begin an athletic career as a junior player in the following years, he had to beat back an illness, whose treatment cost $ 900 a month. But in spite of this problem, his enthusiasm for football was unbelievable. A Golden Opportunity Recognizing Messi’s precocious talent, Carles Rexach, a sports administrator, promised him that FC Barcelona would pay his treatment if he decideto play for the famous club.The answer was “yes”, of course. As a consequence of this, Messi and his parents moved permanently to Barcelonese soil, a football-mad place. On that occasion, the youngster was sad to leave his home city. However, the Spaniard place had a special significance to Messi: There, on May 3, 1980, his fellow Argentine Maradona signed a six-year contract with the traditional side. The travel proved to be a turning point in his life. In the capital and largest city of Spain’s Catalan region — one of Europe’s first cla$$ cities— Messi received a scholarship to play football in Barca’s athletic academy, alongside Xabi Alonso, Gerard Piqu, Andrs Iniesta and other boys. The Club’s Youth Academy (one of Western Europe’s major sports academies), was set up with one primary goal in mind: Scans up to 300 young talents and transform some of them into champions. The youth squads have always preoccupied Barcelona’s sports leaders. In recent decades, the Spaniard club sent scouts to Latin America looking for promising youth athletes. As well as being the nation’s second largest city behind Madrid, Barcelona is a place that is tied closely to the Olympic Movement, physical activity and all of the values that sport represent in the 21st Century. This corner of the planet, host to the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, is an international grandstand with recreational spaces, sports academies, and state-of-the-art Olympian facilities on a par with other sporting cities such as London (UK), Singapore City, Doha (Qatar), Montreal (Canada), Dubai ( United Arab Emirates), and Los Angeles (CA). Additionally, it was home of Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, former Chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and among the world’s most gifted and influential sports administrators. During a breakout year, after overcoming his illness, Messi, who was about four-foot-seven-inch tall, become one of Barca’s top male players in the Boys’ Division of the Spanish Football Championships. There, he had been outstanding throughout the event, scoring over 35 goals and setting numerous records for his age group. A couple of years later, under the aegis of Spain’s Club, Messi improved rapidly his play and was promoted to the junior team’s starting lineup, competing in the under-19 tournaments. Encouraged by Frank Rijkaard As a young teen, he got the first opportunity to used his talent as a member of Barca’s official contingent when he made his first appearance in the friendly against Porto on November 16, 2003. Following his initial impact, scoring 22 goals in the junior competitions, the up-and-coming Messi, by late 2003, was moved up to the reserves of the club: The squad “C”, prior to winning the right to play for Barcelona B side, a second division club. Messi, as a young athlete, acquired enough expertise to participate in senior soccer events, face-to-face with finest professional players from Europe and abroad. It was an excellent school for him, of course. After watching his athletic performance in the traditional junior contests on Spaniard soil, Frank Rijkaard, Barca’s major coach at the time, put his eyes on Messi –perhaps his most famous pupil– and did not doubt that he would be the next greatest footballer on the Planet —Perhaps a Maradona. Nonetheless,the high-flying coach was not the first to be excited by the potential of Messi. On the other hand, Rijkaard backed up a number of young players, including Carles Puyol and Vctor Valds. At the age of 17, Messi had a chance to show his athletic potential. Fortunately,he did not disappoint to Barca’s sports officials and soccer fans when he entered the highest level in Spanish championship, by pa$$ing many senior footballers and becoming the youngest player in the domestic soccer league. It was one of the greatest moments of Messi’s life on the soccer field. Encouraged by his coach, Frank Rijkaard, Messi, months later, made his mark with the club by scoring his first senior goal against Albacete Balompi, becoming the youngest footballer from Barcelona to ever score in the domestic football league, among the world’s most competitive sports tournaments. By any standards it is a phenomenal achievement. In fact, Rijkaard made him the focus of the team’s new offfensive scheme. Later on, Messi spoke with gratitude about Rijkaard, “I will never forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only sixteen or seventeen”. Without a doubt, he was considered one of the great prospects of the world football. A Champion In the Netherlands By the mid-2000s,Messi brought home his country’s fifth junior global title, considered a huge success in the South American republic; It was a history-making day for the Argentinean Football a$ $ociation (AFA). Messi began his work with his homeland when Argentina’s sports officials called on him to join the 2005 junior World Cup team. Always a heavy favorite with the Dutch fans, the national side, sparked by Messi, came first in the global contest in front of the Amsterdam (Netherlands’ capital) crowd, an international sporting platform to numerous unknown footballers. Thereupon, Messi collected two special awards in Holland: The Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe. Futbol Club Barcelona: 2005- 2006 Season The breakthrough season for the team and Messi came in 2005-06. Three of Barcelona’s Spanish titles can be attributed to Messi: Domestic League, Cataluña Cup, and Spanish Supercup— beginning a new period of success for Spain’s most popular club and topping the TV sports rankings in the European nation. On that occasion, Messi also ama $$ed three individual trophies. On September 27, 2005,before a crowd of several fans and spectators at Barcelona’s Nou Camp Stadium (among the world’s major football stadia), star youngster Messi made his debut as a local player in the European League Championship (against Italy’s Udinese). He competed with Barca until his injury, six months later. In spite of playing without Messi, however, the club earned the famous Champions League, one of the four big international events on Earth, along with the Olympic Games (Winter and Summer), and the FIFA World Cup. In the same year, the prolific scorer Messi was named as Europe’s best young player by Tuttosport (a magazine from Italy), gaining the Golden Boy Trophy, by pa$$ing several sportsmen such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. Curiously, Spain is home of one of the world’s largest populations of foreign-born athletes(along with France, Canada and the oil-rich Kingdom of Qatar) such as Eulogio Martínez (Paraguay, football), Nina Zhivanevskaya (Russia, swimming), Juan Domingo de la Cruz (Argentina, basketball), Glory Alozie (athletics, Nigeria), and Juan Pérez (Cuba, waterpolo). By the end of 2005, Messi was one of the last athletes to become a Spanish citizen (dual citizenship), making him eligible to play as a Spanish player in the National League. FIFA 2006 World Cup Historically, Argentina has the honor of being the third Third World country to capture the global contest after Uruguay (1930 & 1950) and Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002). Due to this tradition and thanks to its world-beating players on European soil, the Argentine football squad had become one of the top favorites to gain the 2006 FIFA Cup, but they finished sixth overall (ahead of three Europeans squads: England, Ukraine and Spain), after losing to host Germany in the quarterfinals. Immediately, Argentina’s soccer fans blamed José Pekerman, national coach, for the defeat against Germany. Why? Incredibly, Messi was excluded to play that game. Certainly, Messi had dissapointed 2006. Although, he made his long-awaited debut in the World Cup as he led Argentina -two-time winner of the men’s football World Cup (1978 & 1986)– to win its first points following a triumph over Serbia-Montenegro (former Yugoslavia). In Germany, he played three of Argentina’s five football matches. During the 2006 World Cup, Messi became Argentina’s most youngest footballer to attend the FIFA Cup. The following year,Messi and his fellow Argentine players finished as runner-ups to Brazil in the 2007 America’s Cup on Venezuelan soil. Spain’s ‘Football War’ Throghout his 2006-07 season, Messi had become a regular player in his European squad, competing on equal terms with senior players and attracting huge numbers of interested fans. It was truly an inspiring moment. However, he withdrew from the Spaniard Football League due to an injury (a game against Real Zaragosa). With better health and upon spending three months on South American soil, Messi went back to Spain, playing in the match between Barcelona and Racing de Santander. Soon after, he made a hat-trick when his club drawn 3-3 with Real Madrid, a match between the two most popular teams in Spain (better known as “The Clasico”). Since decades ago, these matches have been labelled the “Spain’s Football War”, attracting the largest average audience in the European country and numerous regions around the world, especially in soccer nations. In fact, it is a battle which is being won by Barca’s team in recent years. Messi’s Hand of God Goal As he entered his 20s, by 2007, he picked up a total of 14 individual trophies inside and outside Spain, a new personal record over his professional career. But this wasn’t all. Evoking the style of Argentina’s former star Maradona, Messi, was dubbed “Messidona” in the course of an impressive career as a sportsman. During a never-to-be-forgotten game, on April 18, 2007, the Barcelonese club got two goals from Messi to defeat Getafe CF in the semis of the Copa del Rey; one goal inspired comparisons to Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God ‘goal against England’s squad at the 1986 Mexico City World Tournament — it appeared that Messi may have knocked the ball into the net with his fist. In fact, this was great news both for Barcelona and the whole country. Nobody could imagine this feat. His fellow player Deco said, “It was the best goal I have ever seen in my life”. 2007-2008 Campaign Over the course of the season,Messi was in the spotlight as he was regarded as the world’s top footballer by experts, sportswriters, coaches, players, and sports administrators. Meanwhile, Messi was elected as one of the 14th Best Male Athletes in 2007 by a total of 422 AIPS (International Sports Press a$$ociation) members from 94 countries–ahead of South Africa’s rugby star Bryan Habana and Rafael Nadal, a tennis player from Spain. After making a record in soccer world —scored five goals over a span of seven days– Messi helped Barcelona to become one of the four leaders in the first cla$$ Spaniard championship. He was the answer to their lack of versatility in attacking positions. In fact, he sees Barcelona through the eyes of a lover. Additionally, he scored also two goals in the UEFA Champions League. In beginning 2008, Messi celebrated his 100th match. In March, the star athlete was forced to drop out of the Champions League because of an injury. Following over a month, he returned to the line-up, competing with Cristiano Ronaldo, considered among the globe’s finest footballers. Under Messi’s guidance, however, the Barcelonese club was eliminated from the European championship, showing the effects of his injury. Certainly, Messi had not a strong performance in this season, winning only two unofficial events (Beckenbauer Cup in Germany and Joan Gamper Trophy). In July of that year, on the other hand, Messi was appointed as the captain for the first time in a friendly match against Scotland’s Dundee United. Subsequently, the Barcelonese soccer club paid tribute to Messi’s perseverance: Wearing the shirt number ten for the first time (historically given to the leading scorer), the number worn by former stars such as Romario Souza of Brazil, Hugo Sotil of Peru and Maradona, Messi began a new period in Barca, few weeks prior to 2008 the Summer Games. Messi At the 2008 Beijing Olympics Argentina earned its first soccer medal in the 1928 Amsterdam Games, after falling to Uruguay’s side in the gold-medal match. Then, the national contingent was asked to replace Uruguay in the 1976 Montreal Games, but it did not accept. During the Centennial Games in the States, on August 3, 1996, the Argentine team was runner-up to Nigeria (sub-Saharan Africa)-matched its performance in the 1920s. In the 26th Olympiad, the silver medalists were Roberto Ayala, José Chamot, Javier Zanetti, Roberto Sensini and Diego Pablo Simeone, Ariel Ortega, Hernan Crespo, and Claudio López, among others footballers. Over the next years, by 2004, the Spanish-speaking republic placed first in the Athens XXVIII Summer Games upon their victory over Paraguay, a feat never before accomplished by a male squad from Argentina in the men’s soccer Olympic Cup. Messi was Latin America’s top hope for a medal in the 2008 Olympiad. Nonetheless, there were troubles to send Messi to Beijing: his club did not approve his Olympic participation. After a long- running conflict between the Spaniard club and AFA (Argentinean Football a$$ociation), Messi was eligible to represent his nation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he won his second major global event following a convincing triumph over Nigeria, one of the most extraordinary results in the history of the Olympic Championship. It was interesting to note that Messi was a great Olympian champ in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Unlike Pele (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) -a long- standing senior player from Brazil– and Maradona, Messi has won an Olympic gold medal after Argentina defeated six countries in the men’s Olympian football championship in the Games of 29th Olympiad in mainland China, becoming the first world-cla$$ soccer player to win a trophy in the Modern Olympics since the early 1950s when Ferenc Puskas took the Hungarian team to its first Olympian title in the Finland Summer Games. The Soccer Tournment included some strong names such as Brazil, Belgium, Holland,and Cote d’Ivoire.There, this Spanish-trained professional player also helped Argentina to win their second straight Olympic title; the nation’s fourth Olympian medal in men’s football. As well as earning the gold in the People’s Republic, Messi was regarded as one of Latin America’s foremost Olympic athletes. Nonetheless, his trophy was overshadowed by the wins of Michael Phelps, Usain Powell of Jamaica ( 3-time Olympic gold medalist ) and other champions. 2008-2009 Season After being part of the Olympic gold-winning squad in 2008, Messi won the world’s best footballer by FIFA ( the world’s governing body of soccer ). In beginning 2009, Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Racing de Santander was one of Messi’s most notable matches, scoring both goals in the last 45 minutes. Messi entered the match when its club was defeated (0-1), but he confirmed his international status when he was able to break down a Santander defense. During the game, Spain’s team made its 5,000 goal with Messi. After making worldwide headlines on Spaniard soil, he was a key player when his club had a convincing 6-2 win over Real Madrid at Santiago de Bernabu Stadium in Spain’s capital city— Without a doubt, one of the greatest games of Messi’s athletic career. As has traditionally been the case, this a match attracted several neutral fans across the globe. Messi’s other important achievement was when Barcelona’s side finished first in the unofficial event Joan Gamper Trophy for the third time in a row. In 2008, he came away with 10 individual awards. His Play Speaks For Itself By the time the 2009-10 season, Messi brought about a sporting revolution at Barcelona. Astonishingly, his side won all the championships. For these wins, some experts and sportswriters believe he is better than Maradona and Pele. Upon claiming five prestigious competitions —the Champions League, the UEFA Supercup, the Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey), the National League, and the Spanish Supercup— Messi was able to lead Barcelona side to victory in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the turn of the 2009, becoming Spain’s most popular person and making Barcelona one of the world’s most successful clubs in football history. Apart from winning these events, he collected over 15 individual awards in the Americas, Persian Gulf, and Western Europe: World Football of the Year, Alfredo Di Stefano Trophy, World Selection, Best Player in the Club World Cup, and Champions Trophy, among other trophies. In April 2010, one of the most interesting statistics came from Messi when he became Barcelona’s first footballer to score four goals in the Champions League-all against Arsenal F.C. Likewise, he made a name for himself in soccer world as he was Barcelona’s top scorer in the Champions League ( twenty-five goals). Later on, Messi helped the club to capture the Spanish league, as well as winning two special trophies as the Best Player. Spain: The Best Domestic Football Not all of Messi’s play was acclaimed in 2010. Despite the optimism following Messi’s strong performance in Western Europe, Argentine side was eliminated by Germany (0-4), allowing it to secure a top five position in the FIFA Global Tournament;one of Messi’s most disapponting results in this period. The men’s football team of Argentina departed for Africa in the quest of their third Global Cup. From the beginning, Los Celestes entered the 2010 South Africa World Cup as a front-runner to win the title. Prior to being eliminated in the quaterfinals, the South American nation had four wins: Nigeria (1-0), South Korea (4-1), Greece (2-0), and Mexico (3-1). Ironically, the Spanish national team won the Global Cup for the first time. Although one of the most prominent sportsmen in this Century, Messi has not won a World Cup (2006 & 2010). In sub-Saharan Africa, his production was poor: He did not score a single goal. Up to now, his results pale in comparison with Maradona and Pele. 2010-2011 Season In September 2010, Messi’s play captivated the audience, from experts and sportswriters to fans, setting new Spanish and European records. For the third consecutive time,the star player became top scorer in the Champions League. It was unbelievable. In the whole event, the sport’s greatest footballer was a “perfect machinery”. Spearheaded by its idol Messi, the Barcelonese club ama$$ed two tournaments – The national tournament and then Champions League for the second successive year, sparking off celebrations in the Spaniard city of Barcelona. In the meantime, he gained the FIFA Ballon d’ Or. These wins have helped construct an excellent relationship between Messi and his fans inside and outside Spain. In his native country, however, there is another atmosphere. America’s Cup Argentina’s side was upset by Brazil in the finals of the 2007 South American Cup (there Messi appeared in all six of his nation’s games). Four years later, the traditional event was held in Argentina. There, the host nation entered the regional contest, but it did not even make the semis. On the eve of that event, Argentina was a gold-medal contender well ahead of Brazil and Uruguay. Unfortunately, Messi could not do anything. In spite of his extraordinary achievements in Western Europe, the amazing Latino player was unable to lead the Argentine side to win the Copa America for the second time, being strongly criticized by Argentina’s football fans. The local squad had two draws with Bolivia (1-1) and Colombia (0-0) before defeating Costa Rica (3-0) and falling to eventual champion Uruguay (4-5) in the quarter-finals. In his own land,Messi did not score a single goal (except on a penalty) over the course of the Latin American championship. Undeterred, he departed for Spain. Undoubtedly, some soccer fans don’t understand why Argentina’s national team can not win international tournaments with the world’s most prominent soccer player. 2011-2012 Season Spearheaded by Messi, the Barcelonese club captured the Spanish Supercup on in August 2011. With 8 goals, Messi was the top scorer in the national contest, ahead of Raúl González Blanco. Within a few weeks, they also won the European Supercup. On December 18, 2011, Barcelona won the Club World Cup by beating Brazil’s Santos (4-0). There, Messi was the tournament’s most valuable athlete. Astonishingly, Messi became the top scorer (236 goals) in Barca’s history on March 31, 2012. An Advocate for the Rights of Children Latin America’s remarkable football player Messi is regarded as Argentina’s long-standing advocate for the rights of poor children. By 2007, he created a self-named foundation,whose principal aim is to improve education and health care of the future generation of Argentina’s boys and girls. Recently named UN Goodwill Amba$$ador for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Messi works closely with the international organization, increasing global awareness and providing financial aid to programs for children and mothers on Earth. –pinticles 3868
Jokes and Comedy / See What Girl Did to Guy that Asked Her for Free Photos« on: October 20, 2015, 04:13:32 pm »
Perfect response or nah? lmaoo..
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Latest Gists In Town / Checkout These 4 Photos Of Korede Bello That Will Make You Shout ‘Godwin’« on: October 20, 2015, 04:07:13 pm »These throwback photos of Korede Bello illustrate the interesting transformation that has occured in his life over the years. See photos below. 3870
Love | Marriage | Relationships / 5 Things No Single Woman Wants To Hear« on: October 20, 2015, 04:01:52 pm »We know you mean well and you’re just trying to make us feel better, but there are some things single women just wish they didn’t have to hear. Stop saying things like… 1. “Why are you still single?” There’s no good answer to this question. Why am I single? I don’t know. Maybe… Because I just am? I’m not being sarcastic, it’s just that I honestly don’t know what to say. Are you asking me to tell you a deep, hidden flaw that drives men away when they get to know me well enough? Are you asking me to retrace my steps through past relationships and find the mistake I made that thwarted a walk down the aisle? Or are you asking me this question because you think I’ve never asked it of myself? I know you probably mean this question as a compliment — you’re trying to tell me I’m attractive or kind or have some other quality that’s appealing, but if that’s the case, just tell me I’m pretty or I’m kind or, really, anything else. Just affirm me for what you see instead of interrogating me about why a man didn’t see it, too. 2. “He’s missing out.” I’m 36 and single, which means I’ve dated (and, unfortunately, broken up with) a number of men. After each breakup, many, many people have told me that the person I broke up with is missing out. This sentence has never made me feel better. Not even for a single second. I always want to say, “I don’t care if he’s missing out. I’m missing out right now.” Even if the other person made a mistake or took me for granted or wasn’t long-term relationship material, and even if I’ll be better off without him in the long run, for now, I’m the one who no longer has a plus-one for the wedding next month or a date to the symphony or a vacation buddy or a dinner partner or someone to have intimate conversations with. I’m the one who’s missing out. 3. “Your biological clock must be ticking.” For the love of everything holy. I am neither a clock nor a time bomb. How could you possibly know how strong my desire to procreate is, and why is it any of your business? I am not ticking, but I am definitely ticked. 4. “You’re too picky.” This usually comes from people who don’t know me well at all, have no idea what I’m looking for in a potential marriage partner and have never met anyone I’ve dated. The fact that two people are both single do not make them perfect for each other. There are lots of other variables that factor into the equation. Let me just say this: If I turn down a man who lives in his grandma’s basement, smells like rotting garlic, hasn’t shaved since President Obama won his first election, has fingernails longer than mine have ever been, can’t hold down a job for more than a month and thinks that speaking Klingon makes him bilingual, that’s not being “picky” any more than you saying you’re hungry and then refusing to eat a moldy cheese sandwich is. 5. “You’ve gotta get out there more.” I have attended college, two grad schools, church, conferences, blind dates, speed-dating events and singles mixers. I’ve signed up for several online dating sites. I went on more first dates last year than most people will go on in a lifetime. Please don’t imply (or explicitly state) that the reason I’m single is because I’m not trying hard enough. Plus, research has shown that 63 percent of married couples meet through mutual friends. Not at bars or coffee shops or on dating sites or wherever else it is you think that single people cross paths. The majority of couples meet because their friends introduce them to each other. So I’m not single because I’m lazy; I’m probably single because of you. It would be more helpful to us single women if, instead of telling us to get out there, you’d host a cocktail hour or a game night or a dinner party and introduce us to some eligible bachelors you know. source: huffingtonpost.com 3871
Political Issues / List Of Grammatical Murders Committed During Ministerial Screening« on: October 20, 2015, 03:57:01 pm »Written by Farooq kperogi
“My Names Are,” “Comity of States,” and Other “Ministerial Screening” Grammatical Murders I didn’t follow the live broadcast of the recent senate confirmation hearing (or what the Nigerian media and social media commentariat call “ministerial screening”) of President Buhari’s ministerial nominees, but scores of readers of this column peppered me with questions on the several grammatical bloopers committed by senators and ministerial nominees during the hearing. I was initially disinclined to write on the blunders for at least two reasons. One, I had written about many of them in the past, and I thought anyone who was interested in finding out should use the search box on my blog or the Daily Trust website. Second, I thought it was unfair to pillory the grammatical infractions of people who were speaking under pressure since, in any event, in speech, we don’t usually have the deliberateness, forethought, and self-correction that we bring to bear when we write. Nevertheless, when I realized that the senate confirmation hearing enjoyed a ma$$ive social media blitz and inspired frenzied online chatter, especially by young people who look up to older people, including politicians, for direction on language use, I thought this is probably a good time to once again call attention to some of these errors I had written about, which some people missed. Plus, many of the errors my readers called my attention to are not simple errors of carelessness; they are errors of ignorance. More importantly, I read many people arguing back and forth over the correctness of some of the expressions I isolate below, with several of them tagging me and requesting my intervention. I couldn’t respond to all of the inquiries I received, so I think it’s appropriate to highlight and discuss some of them. 1. “My names are.” I was told that several senators (or is it ministerial nominees; forgive me because I didn’t watch the whole live or recorded broadcast) introduced themselves by saying “my names are….” Well, as I have written in several articles, that’s illiterate English. The conventional expression is “my name is” irrespective of the number of names of you have. As I wrote before, as recently as three weeks ago, contemporary native English speakers don’t introduce themselves by saying “my names are.” “Name” is a single unit and refers both to one’s first name alone and to one’s first, (middle), and last names combined. So the socially normative and grammatically acceptable way to introduce yourself is to either say “My name is Aliyu” or “My name is Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.” The fact of the addition of “Magatakarda” and “Wamakko” to “Aliyu” doesn’t require that you to pluralize “name” to “names” to have “My names are Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.” The only occasion under which the phrase “my names are” might be justified is if you have legally changed your names many times in the past, like criminals do, and didn’t take care to also legally invalidate the previous name changes. Let me give an example of what I mean. Maybe when you were born your name was Adamu Musa Ilyasu. When you became a teenager, however, you committed a crime for which you went to jail. When you came out of jail, you wanted to escape from your past, so you changed your name to Oluwale James Emeka. But, as years pa$$ ed by, you decided to run for office in Sokoto where a name like Oluwale James Emeka is a cultural and elector*l liability, so you again legally changed your name to Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko. But then things came full circle and you were caught in the web of the elaborate deceit you have woven around your life. During questioning by the police, you might say “my names are Adamu Musa Ilyasu, Oluwale James Emeka, and Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko,” especially if the name changes were done legally and previous names were not legally invalidated. That’s a very far-fetched scenario. In other words, there will almost never be any need or occasion for anyone to ever correctly say “my names are.” 2. “Comity of states.” In justifying why he built a new government house in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who might be Nigeria’s next foreign affairs minister, said, among other things, “We have a duty to be respected and regarded in the comity of states.” “Comity of states” is, of course, extended from the fixed expression “comity of nations,” which is itself routinely misused in Nigerian English. In my April 13, 2014 article titled “12 Popular Misusages in Nigerian English,” I wrote: “[Comity of nations] is often used in Nigerian English, especially in official Nigerian English, where ‘community of nations’ [or international community] would do. “‘Comity of nations’ is a fixed phrase that means the ‘courteous respect by one nation for the laws and institutions of another.’ It basically means the respect that nations have for each other’s sovereignty. ‘Comity’ means harmony, so comity of nations means harmony of nations, not a collection of nations. Unfortunately, ‘comity of nations’ has been misused even in Nigerian presidential speeches delivered at international arenas. “On the website of the Nigerian Emba$$y in the USA, the following sentence appears: ‘Within that period too, Nigeria gradually regained her voice in the comity of nations.’ You would think that people whose exposure to and knowledge of the practices and registers of international relations are considered worthy enough to be appointed to represent Nigeria in the United States would know enough to know that ‘community of nations’ is the right phrase to use in the sentence above.” Dr. Fayemi is an international relations expert who should be familiar with the concept of “comity of nations.” I am surprised that even he confused “community” with “comity.” I hope he reads this article and never goes to say something like “Nigeria’s position in the comity of nations” at international events when he becomes minister of foreign affairs. “Comity” and “community” kind of sound alike, but they mean two completely different things. 3. “Knowing fully well.” Some people called my attention to the use of the expression “knowing fully well,” instead of “know full well,” during the confirmation hearings. Well, I won’t gripe too much about that. As I wrote in an April 7, 2013 article , the standard expression is “full well.” But “full well” is only a surviving linguistic remnant of early Modern English in contemporary English. That means outside of the expression “full well,” “full” can’t be used as an adverb. For instance, it would be wrong to say “he was full loaded.” That should correctly be “he was fully loaded.” Why is this so? Before and during Shakespeare’s time, people used “full” as an intensifying adverb almost the same way we use “really” today. For instance, in Henry VIII, Shakespeare wrote: “Anger is like a full hot horse.” A modern writer would write this sentence as, “Anger is like a really hot horse.” But the sense of “full” as an intensifier in the cla$$ of “really” has survived only in a few fixed expressions like “(know) full well,” the Shakespearean phrase “full fathom five,” and in the phrase “full many a…” (such as in the sentence “full many a glorious morning I have seen”). So, in idiomatic English, “full well” is more acceptable than “fully well.” But many people now just say “you know really well” or simply “you know” unless they want to show off their esoteric erudition and mastery of idiomatic English. Obsolete words that are still used in contemporary English because they are frozen in idiomatic expressions are called “fossil words.” So “full well” is a fossil expression. 4. “States who…” In making a case for states to have their own police, former Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola said, “States who want to run state police….” It is improper grammar to use the relative pronoun “who” for non-human subjects; “which” and “that” are the preferred pronouns when reference is made to non-human entities. So it should be “states that want to…” I would not have bothered with this but for the fact that in Nigerian secondary school English language exams, any student who uses the relative pronoun “who” for a non-human subject will lose points, and we will all turn around and bewail the declining numbers of people who get credit pa$$es in “O” level English. 5. “Ministerail.” The official communication from President Muhammadu Buhari to Senate President Bukola Saraki requesting the confirmation of ministerial nominees misspelled “ministerial” as “ministarail.” Any wonder that the “ministerail” confirmation hearing was an exercise in grammatical murders? I also discovered that many Nigerians on social media misspell ministerial as “ministarial.” What’s up with that? Source:DailyTrust 3872
Love | Marriage | Relationships / Ladies, Here’s How To Get Pregnant As Soon As You Want« on: October 20, 2015, 03:42:51 pm »Suppose you and your partner have been trying hard for a baby for quite sometime, but still have not been able to conceive. There are possibilities that you missed out on some rules that might help increase your chances of getting pregnant. Below are tricks to boost your fertility and get pregnant fast. The Time You Have $ex: Experts suggest that a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant are high if she has regular s*x. Regardless of the time of the month, regular intercourse can help improve a woman’s chances of conceiving. S*x at any time in a woman’s monthly cycle may trigger immune system changes that boost the likelihood of getting pregnant, a new study suggests. The findings could eventually prove useful for couples trying to conceive, researchers from Indiana University at Bloomington said. “It’s a common recommendation that partners trying to have a baby should engage in regular inter-course to increase the woman’s changes of getting pregnant even during ‘nonfertile’ periods although it’s unclear how this works,” said lead investigator Tierney Lorenz, from the university’s Kinsey Institute. “This research is the first to show that the s*xual activity may cause the body to promote types of immunity that support conception,” she said in a university news release. The findings are based on information from 30 women who participated in the Kinsey Institute’s study. Half of the women were s*xually active, half were abstinent. “The female body needs to navigate a tricky dilemma,” Lorenz said. “In order to protect itself, the body needs to defend against foreign invaders. Figure Out When You Ovulate: One of the most important factors to getting pregnant fast is knowing when you ovulate. You can become pregnant only when a sperm meets an egg and that egg only comes usually once a month, around day 14 in your cycle. It is said that women with very regular 28-day cycles can just count 14 days from the first day of their period to determine their ovulation date. However, if your cycles aren’t regular, an ovulation kit can help you pinpoint your most fertile time. Since the egg only survives for a day or two, there’s only a limited window each month during which you can actually get pregnant. Hence, it is important to know that the most fertile time is around the time of ovulation. Know The Positions: Experts are of the view that different s*x positions play a key role in getting pregnant. Although there is no scientific proof on the best s*xual positions for baby-making, it is believed that having s*x in the ‘missionary position’ (man-on-top position) is best as it allows for deep penetration so the man’s sperm can be ejacu-lated as close to the cervix (the opening of the womb) as possible. Maintain An Ideal Weight: Being too thin can hamper your fertility, but being overweight can affect your fertility as well because too much body fat produces excess estrogen, which can interfere in ovulation. Take Folic Acid: Folic acid is important for women who are trying to get pregnant. Experts suggest that women who take folic acid before trying for a baby (ideally for at least three months before conceiving and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy) have fewer chances of having a baby with conditions such as spina bifida, etc. 3873
Jokes and Comedy / Just 4 Laughs!! If Your Wife’s Ex Did This On Your Wedding Day, What Will You Do? (See Photo)« on: October 20, 2015, 03:38:39 pm »Hmmm! Ok seriously, I need honesty here. On your traditional wedding day, your wife’s ex pulls this dollar spreading stunt in front of you, what will you do? 3874
Jokes and Comedy / See What Guy Did to Girl that Refused to Visit Him but Asked for MTN Recharge Card« on: October 20, 2015, 03:36:32 pm »
Did this young lady get what she deserved?
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Sports Updates / Another One Goes: Emmanuel Emenike Quits The Super Eagles« on: October 20, 2015, 03:34:05 pm »Super Eagles forward, Emmanuel Emenike, took to Instagram some hours ago to announce that he is quitting the national team. The 28 year old who has been playing for the country for just 5 years, announced the end of his international career without stating any reason. In the Instagram message he posted, he looked back on his victories, including the Africa Cup of Nations Top goalscorer award he won in 2013, when Nigeria took the AFCON Cup. He said he has never regretted playing for the country and apologized for not being the goalscorer he was well known for. Emenike: No more Eagles career! "After 5 great years, I am happy to announce that I have put full-stop to my Nationa team career for the sake of national peace." "Its a pleasure for me to have played for this great country. I never regretted it and I think its the best time to end it. Millions thanks to all the fans who have been very supportive during the good and bad times." "I am very proud of my performance, I am proud of my team mates and I am very proud of the nation called 'Nigeria'. My AFCON gold medal is a sign of great achievement, My AFCON topscorer award speaks a lot about my commitment and dedication to the team. Super Eagles is a camp not a family house, and it shouldn't be a threat zone for any individual. I have done according to our national anthem. "All my dreams came true in the national team, I dreamt to win Nations Cup for Nigeria after 20-years, I dreamt to played at the World Cup as well as to make a name for myself… In the space of five years, I got them. I'm a winner! "For every dissapointing fans, maybe due to my inability to re-establish my goal scoring instinct for Super Eagles, I will like to say I'm sorry but the ones I had scored counted well for the team. As long as Nigeria remains, you and I will always remember the name 'Emenike'. "Finally, I am happy to make a bow and continue supporting the team everytime. Up Eagles, God Bless Nigeria! A photo posted by Emmanuel Emenike (@chiboy_ ee29) on Oct 19, 2015 at 1:25pm PDT Emenike currently plays for Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, on a loan from his Turkish club, Fenerbahce. Though his announcement contained no direct hint of animosity, fans are wondering if his exit is influenced by Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh. Former Eagles Captain and goalkeeper, who quit the Super Eagles team 3 weeks ago, also announced his exit on Instagram after a major disagreement with the coach. Emmanuel Emenike has at least 4 Club titles from his stint at Karabükspor, Spartak Moscow, and Fenerbahçe; and one national title from the Super Eagles win at the African Cup Of Nations in 2013. |
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